Milling machine ram saddle-wedge lock



Jan. 5, 1954 i c, TREE 2,664,789

MILLING MACHINE RAM SADDLE WEDGE LOCK Filed Aug. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 all!" INVENTOR /8 /5 M CHARLES TREE ATTORNEYS Jan. 5, 1954 c. TREE 2,664,

MILLING MACHINE RAM SADDLE WEDGE LOCK Filed Aug. 18, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 M I h. :I 2? Z? -25 Z6 /A/// L INVENTOR CHARLES TREE ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 5, 1954 LIILLING MACHINE RAM SADDLE-WEDGE LOCK Charles Tree, Racine, Wis.

Application August 18, 1952, Serial No. 304,959

2 Claims.

This invention appertains to metal working machines and more particularly to a novel looking means for the rotatable supporting elements in a milling machine.

A primary object of my present invention is to provide novel wedge means for quickly and easily locking or releasing a rotatable element of the milling machine to its respective support, for example, the locking of the ram saddle to the column and/or the locking of the over arm to the sliding ram.

Another object of my invention is to provide a novel lock wedge and a lock thrust bar both of which slide on a cross brace and supporting bar of the column and both of which bear against the respective portions of a ring segment to firmly force the same against the adjacent surface ofthe ram saddle and the column to lock said ram saddle against rotation.

Still another object of my invention is to provide an operating adjusting screw for the sliding wedge lock which projects outwardly from the column or standard of the milling machine and which is provided with a polygonal terminal for receiving a hand crank or wrench when it is desired to rotate the same.

A more specific object of my invention i to provide an annular groove in the upper and lower inner peripheries of the frame column and the ram saddle respectfully, in such a manner that the adjacent abutting surface of the column and saddle cooperate to form an annular projecting V, the ring segment of the novel locking means is provided with a mating annular V groove in its outer periphery which is of a size and configuration to receive the projecting V and which, by means of my novel sliding wedge lock and lock thrust bar, may be tightened against the respective portions of the column and ram saddle to lock them against relative movement.

A still further object is to provide a novel locking means for a rotatable turret ram saddle which is simple in construction, reliable in its operation and not liable to get out of order.

With these and other objects in view, and to the end of attaining any other advantage hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in certain features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter described,

7 pointed out in the claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view illustrating a milling machine in which the ram saddle is mounted on the column in accordance with my present invention;

ure 2 is a longitudinal horizontal sectional view taken through the ram saddle on the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and illustrating in top plan my novel wedge locking means, certain parts being broken away to illustrate further details of construction;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view through my novel locking means and its associated elements taken on the line 33 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter M generally indicates onetype of my improved milling machine and referring in particular to Figure 1 of the drawings, the same includes broadly the universal milling head In which is mounted on an over arm ll so that the head It may be moved or tilted in a longitudinal, vertical, arcuate path by rotating the projecting stud 0r polygonal terminal l2. The overarm H is, in turn, rotatably mounted to the ram l3 so that by applying a hand crank or wrench to the polygonal terminal of the projecting stud l4 and turning the same in one direction, the overarm may be loosened and the milling head It tilted or moved in a transverse vertical arcuate path at right angles to its arcuate movement in relation to the overarm l i.

The ram I3 is slidably mounted in the saddle I5 by the dove tail arrangement I6 so that the milling head may be moved backward and forward longitudinally of the machine by sliding the ram as desired. The ram I3 may be locked to the saddle l5 by means of the two bolts I 6 and by the tightening of the polygonal terminal of the projecting stud IT. The saddle I5 is, in turn, rotatably mounted on the column or frame standard I8 and this allows the milling head It to be moved in a horizontal arcuate path transversely of the machine. The column or frame standard,

l8 has formed on its forward end the male portion I9 of a dove tailed arrangement towhich thework table (not shown) is slidably secured for vertical movement relative to the machine milling head I0, as more fully described in my copending application, Serial Number 285,180, filed April 30, 1952, entitled Gib for Knee of Milling Machine."

While all the above described elements form no particular part of my present invention and my novel wedge locking means may be utilized with any type of milling machine, in practicing my invention, I prefer to apply the same to the general type of milling machine embodying my milling head shown and described in my prior Patent No. 2,491,940, issued to me on December 20, 1949.

While the present invention may be used to eifectively lock any rotatable element or turret means to its respective support, it has proven particularly useful in looking or releasing both the rotatable ram saddle I5 and the rotatable overarm II to their respective support elements.

However, for the purpose of illustration I have to form one end of the brace bar with a recessed portion 22 to provide a guide and support for the saddle wedge lock 23.

1 The ram saddle I5 is, in turn, provided with a centrally positioned depending spindle or stub axle 24, the lower end of which extends into and is snugly received in the bore 2|. The respective surface of the stub axle 23 and bore 2| are highly polished so that the ram saddle I5 may be easily turned and swung in any direction on its supporting column I 8.

The extreme upper end 25 of the column I8 has formed in its inner periphery, a sharp angled annular groove of a size and configuration to provide an upwardly angularly extending surface 26; and the extreme lower end 2'! of the ram saddle I5 has formed in its periphery, a similarly shaped annular groove which provides a complementary downwardly extending surface 28 and, it is to be noted that when the saddle is in its operative position on the column I8 as shown, with their respective end surfaces 29 in abutting relation, that the two corresponding angular surfaces 26 and 28 of the grooves cooperate to form an annular projecting V 33. snugly fitting against the surfaces 26 and 28 and the projecting V 30 is a segment ring 3|. This segment ring 31 is formed with an opened throat 32 at one end, the opposed surfaces 33 of which converge outwardly towards one another as shown. The outer annular periphery of the ring segment 3i is formed with a correspondingly shaped V groove which snugly receives the projecting V 33. If desired, the ring segment 3| may be formed in one piece and be of asomewhat resilient material. However, due to the relatively heavy work and strength required, I prefer to cast the ring segment in three portions. As illustrated, more particularly in Figure 2 of the drawing, the ring segment 3i includes a short center portion 34, and two equal side portions 35 and 36, which are spaced at their outer opposed ends 33, as previously described, to form the throat 32. However, the inner ends 3! of the side portions 35 and 35 fit tightly against the respective ends of the center portion 34. Slidably mounted on the upper surface of the brace bar 23 is a lock thrust bar 38 having formed on one end thereof a stub nose 39 which abuts the inner periphery of the center ring portion 34.

The lock thrust bar 33 is also formed with an enlarged centrally positioned opening or slot 39' through which the spindle or stub axle 24 of the saddle I5 passes. The opening 39' is sufficiently large so as to permit free movement of the lock thrust bar 38.

The other end of the lock thrust bar 38 is formed with a short projecting block portion 40 which is provided with a central bearing or circular recess 4I. Rotatably received in the bearing 4| is the inner end 42 of the wedge adjusting screw 43. This adjusting screw is threadedly received in the saddle wedge lock 23 and its outer end 44 projects outwardly from the surface of the standard I8 and is formed as a polygonal terminal receiving a wrench or hand crank (not shown). By rotating the hand crank, the adjusting screw 43 will cause the wedge lock to slide in the guide recess 22 of the brace bar 20.

From the above it should be readily apparent that by rotating the adjusting screw 43 in one direction, so as to move the wedge lock 23 outwardly in a direction away from the center of the bar 20; that the wedge surface 45 of the wedge lock 23 will move into the converging throat 32 and will push or force the portions 35 and 36 of thering segment 31 into a firm locking engagement with the respective portions of the ram saddle I5 and the column or standard [8. At the same time, the stub nose 39 of the lock thrust bar 38, is moved firmly against the portion 34 of the ring segment 3| and forces the same into intimate engagement with the projecting V 30 and the respective surfaces 26 and 28 of the ram saddle I5 and the standard or column l8. The ram saddle I5 will now be locked against rotative movement with relation to its supporting column [8.

However, by rotating the adjusting screw 43 in the opposite direction, the locking wedge 23 will be withdrawn from the throat 32 and the pressure exerted through the ring portions 34, 35, and 36 against the respective portions of the column and ram saddle will be relieved and the turret ram saddle l5 may then be turned or swung on the column I8 about its spindle or stub axle 24 to adjust the milling head [0 in any position along a horizontal transverse arcuate path. When the correct position of the milling head It! has been ascertained, the adjusting screw 43 is again turned to tightly force the three portions 34, 35;

and 36 of the ring segment 3| into intimate engagement with the ram saddle I5 and standard i8 so that they will be firmly locked together.

From the foregoing it is believed that the features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and it will, of course, be understood that changes in form, proportions, and minor details of construc tion may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or scope of the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. The combination with a milling machine of the type having a hollow column and a hollow rotatable ram saddle mounted thereon, of a looking and releasing device for locking and releasing the ram sadd'le in relation to the column, the upper inner end of said hollow column having an annular groove formed in its inner peripheral surface of a size and configuration to provide an upward and angularly extending surface, the lower inner end of the hollow rotatable ram saddle having formed in its inner peripheral surface a similarly shaped annular groove to pro-- vide a-downwardly extending angular surface; said respective angular surfaces cooperating to:-

form an annular projecting V, a three part ring segment including two equal side segments and a relatively smaller center segment, said side segments being spaced at one end to form an open throat, a V notch formed in the outer peripheral surface of said ring segments, a cross brace bar on said column adjacent the upper end thereof and below said annular groove, a wedge lock slidably mounted on said bar adjacent said open throat of the ring segment, a lock thrust bar supported by said cross bar having one end in abutting relation with the lock wedge and the opposite end abutting said center ring segment, an adjusting screw supported by said column and threadedly received in said wedge lock for sliding it into and out of said entrance throat, whereby, turning of the adjusting screw in one direction will move the Wedge look into the en- 6 trance throat and firmly press the lock thrust bar against the center segment of the ring segment to firmly lock the column and ram saddle against relative movement.

2. A locking and releasing device for a milling machine as set forth in claim 1 in which the column brace bar has a recess formed at one end to receive and guide the lower end of the wedge lock.

CHARLES TREE.

References Cited in the file Of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

